Sweat and Tears
by Nellee
Summary: In a town where the past haunts the present, Ana, a girl running from her old life, stumbles into Peter, a boy who is mysterious in more ways than one. As her past unravels, she comes to learn the story of two people whose forbidden love lead to terrible revenge and how their decisions placed upon them now; a world of sweat and tears. [Pan/OC AU; M for swearing/smut]
1. Chapter 1

**SWEAT AND TEARS**

In a town where the past haunts the present, Ana, a girl running from her old life, stumbles into Peter, a boy who is mysterious in more ways than one. As her past unravels, she comes to learn the story of two people whose forbidden love lead to terrible revenge and how their decisions placed upon them now; a world of '_sweat and tears'. _[PAN/OC AU, M for mature themes (smut), cussing & slight violence]

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Once Upon a Time! No copyright is intended. I only own the plot and any original characters._

_Music Inspiration: Monster - Imagine Dragons_

_Author's Note: Mainly Pan/OC but in the past, there will be mentions of another OC, which will have relations to both Peter and Hook. (Hope you understand Felix's accent, it will get slowly better. It is excruciatingly painful to write haha.)_

_Please note that Peter is immortal here, and so, he keeps Felix young too. So the second part takes place 50 years ago but you will understand all this in later chapters. _

* * *

It was dark and gloomy when Ana reached her destination, _Welcome to Neverland_, it's dirtied old sign read. She studied the broken sign, which was now torn into two pieces, both hanging by its hinges on wooden posts. The sign itself was graffitied and was obviously very old, from the use of antique wood and the delicate carving of the town name onto its surface. She reached out attentively and stroked the letters, pronouncing the very peculiar town name,

"Neverland." She whispered, _how odd. _The way the name rolled off her tongue left her uneasy and without another thought, she quickly gathered up her belongings and continued to trudge through the forsaken town.

From first glance, it seemed abandoned and she assumed as such until she was met by a rowdy group of chattering people, who were roused by the speaker on the stage gripping the microphone in his left hand. He was claiming that the town should not be ruled under a dictatorship but rather through a select group of specialised members only; to which, he had put himself forth as. Ana shook her head as she made her way through the bustling people, and she hissed several times when they made several elbow jabs at her. Hiking up the straps to her backpack further up on her shoulder, she nimbly made her way to the other side, where she found a patch of grass, secluded but still well in sight, where she could get full view of the town she had wandered into.

The clouds had began to storm and swell in the sky, as the townsfolk readied for another tough winter's night. All of the people had already dressed themselves in big jackets and knitted scarves, already prepared for the treacherous long days of snow and nights of cold. She herself, was barely dressed appropriately, being only covered in a thin, white, slinky dress and a leather jacket and of course, her thick heeled, chunky boots, which never left her feet.

She reached the place of peace after a few minutes of fondling her way through the crowd. Many had turned to sneer at her when she politely excused herself as she tried to make her away around everyone. She had soon given into the notion of being courteous when many had swore at her, and she then agreed that she would have to forcibly push through people to reach her destination.

Ana was not a strong girl, nor was she weak. She had always asserted herself as _strong-willed _but weakly toned in muscles, although she could put up a fair fight when necessary.

She slapped down her heavy backpack which landed on the ground with a loud thud and she winced at the sound. She rolled her shoulders backwards, closing her eyes to the relief this brought to the stinging pain in her shoulder. She rubbed them until they were red with raw flesh and then continued to rummage around her bag. She had not noticed the presence of a young boy who was now studying her curiously from a few yards away.

He leant against the trunk of a tree, half hidden from sight, the other carefully sheltered in the shadow of the leaves. His hair was a muddied brown colour and its messy appearance gave the impression that he had neither brushed it or washed it in a while. His ragged clothing - which was all green, possibly by chance - hung closely to his slim figure. His elbows jutted from the sleeves, an obvious point to his skinny condition. When he noted that she was still not delighting in his presence, he coughed purposefully,

"Hi." was his choice of words and he spoke them with full confidence and affirmation.

Ana's fingers had stopped moving around carelessly in the bag and were now withdrawing from the contents and were now fiddling with the length of the straps. If he was to make any more sudden movements, Ana could easily outrun him, slinging the backpack over her shoulder as she took off. As if he read her mind, he placed ease in the next few words he spoke,

"I mean no harm." He took a step closer, and Ana eyed him suspiciously. However, when he stuck out his hand for a shake, her fixed stare loosened to a more relax sand comfortable gaze. "I'm Peter. Peter Pan." He introduced himself, and she did the same.

"Ana."

He shook her hand and let go after two bounces, taking in her full appearance for the very first time. She was thin for a girl, but her image was not to be stood for her ability to be athletic - he took note of that too. Her long blonde hair was tied into a loose pony tail that hung down the centre of her back, but a few strands had come out from its binds during her long walk.

He chuckled at her wild attire, "What? No last name?" He joked.

Which only made her frown, "No," she shed light onto the subject, "I do have one."

He tilted his head and looked at her strangely, "And you're not going to tell me?"

She swallowed, "Yes." and answered "I don't trust you."

Peter chuckled as he moved closer. With every movement, she eyed him suspiciously, making a mental note of every detail of the boy's appearance, just in case she had to go to the police.

He mimicked her, "You don't trust me?" mocking hurt.

"Yes," she confirmed "I don't trust you." She narrowed her eyes and stood upright, straightening her posture and revealing her true height to the mysterious boy. She was half a head shorter than him but his height did not intimidate her. What did, was the strange pocket that clung to his belt, and when he moved, the item inside shone bright, reflecting sunlight. She glared at it, and when he realised he was paying more attention to the weapon strapped to his hip than to his lips moving, his hands reached under his cloak and hovered over it protectively.

She gulped and could not tear her eyes away, but when Peter's hands flew upwards in haste, she flinched, assuming the worst. He only let out a deep laugh, that erupted from down in his stomach, and spoke up, "Chill out. I'm not going to hurt you."

She nodded quickly and her shoulders relaxed slightly. She made sure that she was not too comfortable in his presence, and that was easily done when his eyes ran down her body, then back up to her face. She watched him like a hawk, and did notice when his gaze lingered for a little too long at the hem of her dress. She fiddled uncomfortably under his watch which only seemed to muse him more.

"What do you want then?" She asked.

"Nothing." He answered too promptly which made Ana squint in distrust, "Can't a guy say hello to a fellow townsfolk?"

"No..." Ana answered slowly, drawing out the last letter. "A fellow guy cannot."

Peter tilted his head and looked at her quizzically, as if something was amusing to him, and Ana stared back, not intimidated by his advances. He then let out a hearty chuckle and closed what little gap was left between the two, and said,

"I like you Ana."

She nodded slowly, sarcasm outlining her voice, "Yeah, that's great."

"Would you like to walk with me Ana?" He pronounced her name, liking the way it rolled off his tongue so effortlessly - _like it was meant to be spoken by him (and it was begging to be). _

She rolled her eyes at him, and took a small step sideways so she was no longer in direct eye contact with the boy, who seemed a little too strange (and civilised) to be in a town so country like in its namesake. However, when she placed a foot to the left of his side, his eyes followed her movements swiftly and he mimicked her perfectly. She glared at him, telepathically telling him to shove aside. However, the boy continued to stand there unmoving, and so, she tried again.

This time she took a step to the right, and as if on cue, he did so too.

She intensified her glare and he returned it.

She huffed out an agitated breath and stated bluntly, "Can you move aside?"

He ran his fingers through his tousled hair, flexing his arms as he did so. She noticed this subtle attempt at impressing her and she only sighed, completely worn out by his attempts of being friendly - or whatever they were, _because they sure did seem to suggest something more. _

He pretended to whine and complained a protest, "No please?"

"No." She concluded and this time, she faked a right step one more time before hastily taking a sneaky step to the left, alluding her captor. She smirked as she walked away, throwing one last glance at the boy who was now grinning like she was. She frowned with confusion, _shouldn't she be the one grinning? _

She left him behind without another look nonetheless, continuing in her path and utterly convinced that the boy was either crazy, or insane - either made sense. However, the imprint he left on her mind was boggling to her. _Why_ was he so alluring (to her only as it seemed)? And _why_ was he so determined to keep her in her place? But more so, _why_ was he so interested in_ her_ altogether?

* * *

**_50 years ago_**

_"Peter Pan!" A young woman cried from her rickety wooden porch to the young boy frolicking in the corn fields. He was picking and nibbling at the crops as he sung and danced in the large meadow. A wide smile painted her face as she saw her boy, who was no older than 6, flying the aeroplane in his hand through the hot summer breeze._

_"Yes ma!" He called back, halting his playtime to answer back._

_"Don't stay out too late, okay Peter?" He nodded and made his promise to his mother._

_He spent the rest of the afternoon, running rounds of the field, dipping and soaring his plane in the air. He leaped and jumped, slid and fell, grazed his knees and elbows and bumped his head. Neither of these stopped the ecstatic child from playing with his new toy. His father had bought him that very toy plane when he had come back from war. You see, his father was a pilot and was called away to fight when enemies attacked, leaving his dear wife and young child behind. Peter did not understand, for he was very young and thought it a little odd for his Papa to leave for such long periods at a time but was too preoccupied with helping his Ma harvest the corn that time flew by effortlessly._

_The toy plane was no longer shiny and brand new, it was broken and torn apart but it did not matter to the boy. It was a reminder of his Pa and he clutched onto it dearly, taking it out to play whenever he had the chance. He imagined his father, hoisting him up onto his shoulders, as he held the plane in his tiny little fingers. He would ride on his Pa's shoulders, as he ran in circuits around their acres of land. It was only imaginary of course, but Peter could always feel the presence of his father even though his mother thought he was insane. She was a lovely person but she did not understand him. Even when Pa was standing right beside Peter, she could not see._

_-For he was dead;_

_And Peter did not find this out until much later._

_Many weeks went by, the same routine each morning and Peter would spend his afternoons playing with his special toy much like he did on other days. Except today was very different. He spun himself in circles, and during his dizzy state, had launched the plane into the air. He gasped and stared in wonder and awe at the plane soaring through the air. He jumped in joy and clapped his hands together in happiness when he saw that he could be just like his father; a pilot. And so, the young boy went jumping and running in glee through the corn field to where the plane had landed._

_However, devastation set upon his eyes when he saw there was nothing left but pieces of broken wood and plastic scattered around the crash site. He collapsed onto his knees and tears began to spill. He cried for the plane, he cried for his father, but he did not cry for his mother._

_During this time, he did not notice another boy his age standing just meters from him. By this point, he was too tired from his sobbing to have given any thought to the stranger. It did startle him when the mysterious boy coughed purposely, shining light onto his hiding spot._

_"Tah wsht ay butifool playhn oft yah's."_

_Peter wiped away his tears and stared at the owner of the voice with the deepest curiosity. He had the strangest accent, and it made Peter giggle much to the other boys unhappiness._

_He frowned and then spoke again, "Wucht yuh lahtign abuht?"_

_Peter understood the boy completely but he could not help but stare at the boy's face; he had the most peculiar slash across his face. When Peter went to ask him about it, he only cut him off and changed the subject. Peter thought it was odd but did not question him, for it was his business and his only. They made casual chit chat about where the boy came from, and Peter found out the boy had recently lost his parents and was wandering around town until he saw Peter's plane, which he liked very much, so he followed sat laughing and giggling at each other until the sun was beginning to set, and they made a promise to meet again in the same spot tomorrow and the one after._

_"Aye shalt se yust morroh thayn?" Peter smiled and nodded. "Muh nahm ist Felix."_

_Peter took the hand and shook it, "Peter."_

_._

_._

_._

_Their meetings went unrecorded and were often hidden from Peter's Ma, who after Peter's Pa's death had grown rather depressed and possessive of Peter. She did not allow him to speak to strangers, and often kept him on the property for fear that she would lose him too. Being too young, he did not understand, and would regularly sneak out to meet his new friend._

_They met on a daily basis for weeks at a time and during each visit, Peter would make Felix tell him about his journey, how he had ventured across cities and towns from the other side of the world and how he found himself in this little town. As Felix told him stories - Felix being much older than Peter - Peter would often question him about many things he saw and encountered. Felix would sometimes explain and sometimes he would not, for he did not understand either. It was on one special day that Peter had grown overly fascinated by Felix's accent and had questioned him. He learnt that Felix had been very uneducated and had been taught very little before his parent's death, and had to learn from what he heard on the streets. Then, Peter agreed to teach Felix to speak and write, if Felix continued to tell him stories._

_It was a deal that both of them held onto for a very long time to come._

_However, Peter's mother fell ill shortly after Peter's first meeting with Felix. She was sick as Peter was told from the town doctor but what they did not tell him was that she was so depressed she had gotten her self sick from grief and her constant worrying. Peter stayed by her bedside for that week, until she died on the last night. He cried on end and clutched onto his mother, praying to god to come save her and bring her back to him._

_His prayers went unanswered._

_There was a small funeral and all the townsfolk attended; it was small for their family had little to no money after Peter's father passed. So now, the council had confiscated the house and the land to pay the much overdue debt and Peter was left without a home. Felix attended the mourning, and was by Peter's side the whole time, and when it was time for Peter to move on, Felix vowed never to leave Peter ever._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_And so, it began, the friendship that brought two very different boys together._

_(But in time, their loyalty will be tested by the very human form the two had vowed never to fall in love with: a girl)._

* * *

_Review/fav/follow, do what you guys do best!_

_(P.S I promise not to make Felix evil again, unless you want that...)_


	2. Chapter 2

******SWEAT AND TEARS**

In a town where the past haunts the present, Ana, a girl running from her old life, stumbles into Peter, a boy who is mysterious in more ways than one. As her past unravels, she comes to learn the story of two people whose forbidden love lead to terrible revenge and how their decisions placed upon them now; a world of '_sweat and tears'. _[PAN/OC AU, M for mature themes (smut), cussing & slight violence]

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Once Upon a Time! No copyright is intended. I only own the plot and any original characters._

_Music Inspiration: Wings - Birdy_

_Author's Note: A friendly reminder that this is not what happens in Once (am thinking, however, of keeping some parts the same)! Otherwise, enjoy this chapter._

* * *

Ana had settled herself into a diner booth designed to seat four, although the other empty seats now occupied her backpack and soggy boots, which were wet from trudging through the wet weather. She sighed and collapsed onto the comfortable padding, letting her damp hair fall away past her shoulders. She threaded some fingers through the knots and attempted to rake out the knots. When she was convinced majority of them had been untangled, she nestled further into the warmth of the tiny restaurant and the dry air that accompanied that. She decided, having earned a little money in the old town as a cafe waitress, she had a little money to spare on a nice, hot latte and possibly a yummy danish.

After a few minutes of deliberation, she ordered her blueberry pie and latte with extra whip cream, _just the way she liked it_. She even went so far as watching the barista brew her coffee, keeping her eyes keenly trained on the coffee beans and the amount of milk being used. Satisfied by his expertise, she relaxed.

However it was not long until another disturbance came, but in the best form, she figured.

It was a waitress, who had long brown hair that reached her hips. She had her plump lips pursued together, the red colour matching the streaks in her hair, and of course, the very tiny pieces of clothing that clung desperately tight to her body - scrap pieces of material that Ana did not even call _clothing_. Nonetheless, Ana smiled at the young lady and offered her thanks when she set down her order.

Ana had not even realised how hungry she was until her stomach growled and she heard a laughter ring through her ears. And when she turned, realised that it had come from the tall girl who was now grinning gleefully at her. Ana smiled back uncertainly and muttered,

"Guess I'm hungrier than I thought." It wasn't a joke but the other girl laughed anyway.

"Good thing you ordered the pie then." She added, nodding at Ana who was now staring at her with the most confused expression she had ever seen, "You're not from around here, are you?"

Ana nodded slowly, and thought very carefully about her next words, "Just stopping by in town for a few days for supplies then I'll be off again."

"Why the hurry?" The girl interrupted and added quickly. Once again, Ana shot her a quizzical look and she laughed, throwing her head back as her chest prodded outwards. The older girl had decided that it was okay to seat herself down, and have a chat with Ana who looked like she was about to die from distress. She pushed herself into the empty booth opposite her, nudging aside Ana's boots and belongings, to which Ana eyed with the utmost caution.

"There's no hurry," Ana answered, "Just don't really have a reason to stay in a place for very long."

"Why's that?" _Gee, was this girl nosy. _

When Ana paused, not answering the question, she quickly spoke up, "If you don't mind me asking."

Ana met the girl's eyes and they were sparkling with interest. She raised an eyebrow at the older girl who was smiling widely - _not a creepy smile but a genuine one_. The other girl explained further, "It's just, we don't get many visitors around here."

This time, Ana responded, "Yeah, I can see why." Perhaps a little too droned out, and the other girl sensed this and replied,

"There's not much around her, is there?"

"No, there definitely is not." The other girl frowned a little but then defended, "It's not all that bad though. The people are great!" The older girl tried to uplift the spirit of the town, despite how unconvinced she sounded, _even to herself_.

Ana simply raised her eyebrow at her, the silence speaking more than necessary.

"Okay, it is terrible." The other girl admitted with a huff, crossing her arms with sadness as the realization dawned to her that she was working in a dead-end job in a town she could probably never escape.

Upon hearing this, Ana did certainly perk up, "Why is it that you stay then?" She inquired curiously.

"Well," she began, "I guess it's because I've lived here my whole life? And I don't think I could picture being anywhere other than here?"

Ana nodded her head, agreeing and whispered, "I know how that felt."

It was the older girl's turn to raise her eyebrows in confusion as she repeated, "Knew?"

She nodded again, "Once." She spoke strongly, and there was nothing in her voice, _no regret, grief or despair_. No, Ana was feeling neither of those now. She only looked upon that part of her life with only a pinch of sadness that she could've only spent a little more time in her hometown before leaving. "A long time ago."

The other girl seemed to understand what Ana chose not to say and she nodded, throwing her eyes down to her fingers fiddling with the hem of the work apron.

A name was called from the other side of the room, and the older girl tore her head up to see who had called. Immediately afterwards, she stood up, brushing her apron and adding one last thought, "I've got to go now." She looked in the other direction where someone was now screaming for her to get back to work. "But if you change your mind, and want to stay, we've always got a room for you upstairs. And we could use a helping hand down here sometimes if you're up for it."

She stopped halfway through to the other side, sliding on one foot so she now faced Ana's direction once again and said, "My name is Ruby if you're wondering."

"Ana."

As Ruby began to walk away, she must've had one last input and decided to yell over her shoulder, giggling slightly as she did so, "And it pays well."

Ana simply shook her head and laughed at the other girl, smiling happily to herself that she had at least met one friendly face today.

(Because _Peter _most definitely did not count as one.)

* * *

Several days had passed and Ana had found herself taking up the girl's offer. It wasn't exactly _the plan_, but what was it exactly? Because in her mind, Ana decided that it was best to just move on from town to town, only staying up to three days tops, finding work where possible, in places where they did not question your past. However, she felt the need to stay. _As if she was drawn to this strange town for a reason_.

Ana shrugged on the black apron, picking up a notepad and pen and shoving it in the large pocket in the front. She gathered her long blonde hair which swished around when she walked and tied it up into a messy bun. She pulled at a few strands of hair which was tied too tightly that it hurt her scalp, and pushed up the sleeves to her flannel jacket to her elbows, freeing her forearm that was needed to pick up plates and cups.

Sighing, she took one last glance around the back room and headed through the kitchen to the front of the diner, where most of the customers were already waiting (for Ruby to do her job).

(_Which she did not do really well_).

"Ana?"

And _fuck _was the first word to come out of her mouth.

(And really, really loudly too).

.

.

.

"Peter." She spoke his name with a sneer and he grinned widely at her reaction. She was standing over him with a pen in one hand and the notebook squeezed in the other. He on the other hand, was quite enjoying himself. He had his arms crossed over his chest loosely as he slid down into his booth with an obvious smirk plastering his face.

She rolled her eyes when he spoke her name mockingly. "I didn't know you worked here?" It was a question, although she suspected he already knew the answer to it. So rather than giving him the satisfaction of winning, she snapped instead,

"What do you want?" He flinched momentarily at the hostility in her voice.

"In a feisty mood today aren't we?" He joked, to which Ana only sent him more glares.

"I have work Peter." She tapped on the watch strapped around her left wrist, and gestured towards Ruby's grandmother who was now staring at Ana with eyes that screamed _GET BACK TO WORK! _

Peter chuckled, and placed a ten dollar bill on the table and said rather huskily, "I'll have what _you_ like."

A shiver ran down her spine when he spoke about her. She shuddered and let her eyes close before fluttering open again. Ana had prayed that he was just an illusion, a trick in her mind but when she re-opened her eyes, she knew it was nothing but reality. And so, she let an agitated breath slip from her lips as she tapped her foot on the tiles impatiently, squinting at Peter. She questioned his motives for being in the diner at the exact time her shift was beginning.

"I don't have anything _I _like, so will you _please_ make up your mind?" She seethed at him, irritated as to why he was making her life difficult.

As it turns out, he was only going to make it harder, "Are you sure you don't have _anything_ you like?" It was a whisper now, and he smacked his lips together, licking them afterwards in a circular rotating movement.

Ana could only watch mesmerized before coughing purposefully at him, having snapped out of the trance a second before.

He frowned her, his eyebrows creasing with his forehead, looking confused for a second. Then as if it didn't matter, he stated bluntly, "I'll just have a coffee."

She nodded and scribbled his order onto the notepad and as she was trained, she had to ask him, "Anything else?" It was compulsory for all waiters and waitresses to ask their customers.

However, on this very occasion, she was dreading the answer, "Yes." He answered her, and on cue the devilish smirk reappeared, "**You**."

* * *

Ana clocked off her hours and replaced the apron that was previously hung around her neck with a scarf and shrugged on her much trusted leather jacket. She let out a breath of relief after a very long and tedious eight-hour shift.

On her way out, she turned off the light, flipped the sigh from 'open' to 'closed' and slammed the door close.

She briskly walked the two blocks to the inn, which she was calling home for the next few weeks - or however long she planned on staying. She had moved out of the diner's upstairs, having told Ruby that it was about time she got out of their way.

She wrapped her arms tightly around her torso as she began to feel stiff around waiting around on her feet for the entire day. Ignoring the pains in her legs and heels, she trudged on, nudging her head closer towards the ground and closer into her neck to keep the body warmth from escaping.

A little feeling in her gut told her something was off about tonight, and she desperately tried to push this thought aside until she heard footsteps trailing behind her. Her heart skipped a beat and she held her breath in anticipation of what came next.

_Did they want to rob her? Kidnap her? Or worse…_

She hastened her pace and lengthened each stride she took; quickening her steps and shortening the distance between her and the safety of the inn.

She gasped and almost fell to the ground when a hand snaked its way around her shoulder and clasped onto it strongly. She didn't dare turn back, but the pain from the hand squeezing her shoulder was excruciating, and it only worsened when she refused to stop walking.

It got to the point where it was so unbearable Ana felt she was about to break, and she gave up, letting her strides halt to a stop.

Then, with closed eyes, she awaited her fate.

.

.

.

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_"Ana?"_

* * *

_DUN-DUN-DUN! Who do you think it is? I'll leave it to you guys to guess..._


	3. Chapter 3

**SWEAT AND TEARS**

In a town where the past haunts the present, Ana, a girl running from her old life, stumbles into Peter, a boy who is mysterious in more ways than one. As her past unravels, she comes to learn the story of two people whose forbidden love lead to terrible revenge and how their decisions placed upon them now; a world of '_sweat and tears'. _[PAN/OC AU, M for mature themes (smut), cussing & slight violence]

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Once Upon a Time! No copyright is intended. I only own the plot and any original characters._

_Music Inspiration: Say Something - A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera (I just like the song, doesn't really have an effect on the way you read this chapter)_

_Author's Note: If anyone is wondering, I pictured Ana like Taylor Momsen._

_EDIT: Have changed the pairing: there is no longer Felix/Ana but there will be another pairing apart from Pan/Ana in the future. _

* * *

_"Ana."_

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Her heart froze. She held her breath and she waited.

(For her doom...

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Or death-

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-which ever came first.)

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"Ana?" The voice repeated, however more strongly this time and she flinched when the hand gave her shoulders a little squeeze. She clenched her eyes shut as fast as she could as the same words whispered from her lips as a prayer... _help_.

She turned around slowly as instructed by the voice but even though she was facing her _kidnapper... (or abductor), _she did not want to open her eyes. If she was to die, she would rather not have the pain of seeing the murder weapon before everything goes black... _forever_. And so, Ana remained still, wincing when she heard shuffling around her, and this time she prayed harder, and more desperately - to the extent it was almost spoken aloud. She was literally screaming inside, begging for someone to hear her, but when the voice instructed her to open her eyes, she complied.

Not because she was afraid that they would torture her first, but because she recognised the voice's owner.

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And she squealed in delight.

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"Killian!"

* * *

She grappled him into a massive bear hug, swaying him from left to right. She was so ecstatic that words could not even begin to explain, so she asked the first thing that popped into her mind. "What are you doing?" Which happened to not be the brightest of greeting she could've thought of.

There was a moment of silence.

"Er-hugging you?"

"I mean-" She shook her head and released him slowly, however still keeping both hands on his triceps, giving him a small pinch when she spoke, "-I meant, how are you?" She paused long enough to hear him chuckle at her stammering. "Last time I heard, you were off on vacation on some tropical island!"

He rubbed his arms softly where she had pinched him, not noticing that she had actually done so really forcefully, "Oh that?" He snorted, "Well, let's just say it didn't end well." He cut off nervously. Ana tilted her head and looked at him curiously,

"Oh." was all she said.

Trying to sway the topic of conversation in the other direction, he stuck out a hand and pointed to her, "What are you doing?" Giving Ana a small shove in the chest, "Shouldn't you be in Maine?"

Ana slapped away his hands playfully, then shook her head in all seriousness, "No, that was a long time ago."

Killian eyed her, watching as her emotions turned from excitement to inner turmoil in a matter of seconds. It was his turn to be stunned for words. He gathered his thoughts and words; it took more effort than he would've thought necessary to say the following. "How long ago was that?"

"It's been so long I can't even remember how long ago, might've been four years? I honestly have no idea. It's just been all a blur, between my parent's passing and dropping out of school the following year, to wandering streets." She laughed anxiously, trying to enlighten the mood when she saw his pained expression. Ana waited for a reply that Killian did not have, and instead, she spoke up. "You don't have to be jealous, it hasn't been very exciting." She punched him playfully, and a mischievous glint hinted in her eyes, "But now that you're here, we can go have some real fun!"

Having been given not enough time to answer her properly, Killian was being dragged off elsewhere but he did so willingly.

They made casual chit chat along the way, but neither Killian's trip or Ana's hardship of finding a home was brought up again. Whenever words weren't exchanged, glances were, and they stared at each other sorrowfully, before returning their gaze to the concrete pavement beneath their feet. It was a telepathic connection they had; having been brought up so close.

They spoke of the good ol' times, where Killian would come visit Ana at her home; the barbecues filled with people with family relations or just generally noisy neighbours. Of course, Ana's parents had not minded, they were an overly friendly couple who embraced anyone.

Ana let off a little smile remembering this. _She really did miss her parents_.

She heard a few mumbled words and she phrased her pardons, "What did you say?"

"I said how long have you been in town?"

"Not very long. Almost a week now." He nodded and she copied. "How about you?" Their pace came to a halt as she questioned him. He stood very still, and then turned towards her with a hunchback and squinted eyes. When she stared into them, she saw that what he spoke of next had been guarded very well and that he had gone over what he was going to say in his head a thousand times over.

"A while." It was short and sharp; quick and precise, and had been rehearsed very well to the point of being very believable. (But Ana knew better.) "Long enough to catch onto what's going on."

And so, she gulped.

"Shall we go in?" They had reached their destination.

Ana could only nod nimbly and watch Killian with skeptical eyes.

"Name's Hook now."

"What?" She spurted at the sound of a name being so ridiculous. He nodded and she raised her eyebrows at him in confusion. "Hook." She pronounced, tasting the way the name lingered on her tongue. She decided it sounded far to incredulous for it to be legitimate name. Ana came to her own conclusion that it was a nickname, and voiced her thoughts on the matter. "That's peculiar."

He let off a deep chuckle and agreed. "Yes it is."

Before he walked into the restaurant, he called out to her, "Oh Ana?" She stopped following in her footsteps to look at him, "If you do happen to come across a strange boy... by the name of _Peter Pan_." He paused and she waited, raising her eyebrows at him until he chose to speak," _Do_ try to stay away from him." He enunciated the 'do' as he eyed her carefully and she nodded silently.

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To be truthful, she did not understand why she _had_ to. She knew he was a very mysterious boy that many people did not know much of. However, she did take full note of the way Killian spoke -_sneered_- his name with such hate and anger and this made her think twice about taking heed to Killian, _Hook's,_ warning.

* * *

"What were you doing talking to Hook?" Peter had his arms crossed around his chest as he looked at her, obviously not very amused by the way she was avoiding the question. She had already, _unsuccessfully_, tried to escape his _prison_ he had created by the way his arms moulded her into the tree that was now pressing firmly against her spine.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She pressed her lips into a tight line and deliberately huffed at him.

He turned away, letting the cool air hit the right side of his cheek. He glared at her; his eyebrows frowning and his forehead creasing from irritation, as he tried to suppress the anger boiling inside. "I know everything that happens in Neverland." She raised her eyebrows quizzically, "I saw you talking to Hook, Ana."

Ana undisturbed by his advance into her personal area, faked ignorance, "I don't know who you're talking about."

He pounded his fist into the bark to the right of her head, and she shivered as the sound of the impact rand through her ears. She winced but Peter did not even bat an eyelash. He slowly removed his hand which was now fully wedged into the rough bark. The blood dripping from his knuckles did not even effect Peter as he continued to stare down at Ana. On the other hand, her eyes moved frantically between Peter's face and the hand that was now covered in splinters of bark and trails of blood. And he hissed,

"Don't lie to me." It was a growl that came next, "I know you spoke to Hook."

"Who?" Ana was really pushing his patience.

"_Killian_." He sneered, much like how Hook had when he spoke Peter's name and she wondered if the two had any connection. "I want to know what he said."

"What about him?" She asked, curious as to why he wanted to know about her conversation with Hook so desperately.

"I want to know what he said to you." He repeated. "What he said about me..." He trailed off.

She looked at him oddly (W_hy did he want to know if Killian said anything about him? Was I missing something?) _before shaking her head, and straightening out her dress and answered promptly. "He didn't say anything."

He nodded and released his arms from around her, which, much to Ana's relief, allowed her to breathe a little more. He began to walk away but yelled over his shoulder when he was more than five feet away.

"Oh Ana? I'd steer clear from _Hook_, he's bad news."

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And Ana was left feeling more confused than ever.

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However, as the scene replaheron her mind, she was beginning to not take Killian's words so lightly.

* * *

She was now furiously walking herself to Killian's apartment, after her little _run-in _with Peter. She was going to demand why Peter had told her that Killian was bad news and vice versa. She huffed on each second stride she took. She ignored how her feet wobbled under each step and easily distracted herself with the answers she was about to get - _answers she deserved._

When she arrived she banged hastily; slamming her palms onto the white wooden door, hearing the repetitive smack as flesh met hard wood. She did not flinch at the ugly sound or the pain searing through her arm - she was more interested in why both men (_or man and boy_) had instructed her to stay away from each other. And why she had this brining sensation at the back of her head, that was screaming at her that the two statements were not so far-fetched as she had initially thought, and was, in fact actually quite related.

When he answered the door, she did not even give him time to say a simple hello before barging into the room. "Hello to you too _darling_." He muttered as he closed the door behind her.

She had already seated herself on the kitchen bench when he came back from retrieving his shirt - he had a habit of sleeping shirtless. He had grown accustomed to hot, tropical weather, almost rain-forest like in its humidity and now it felt odd wearing a shirt even though winter was swirling outside his window.

"Why the hell did Pan tell me that you were bad news?" She demanded, her eyes tearing holes in his skull.

But all he did was shrug.

"Why did you tell me to stay away from Pan?" She added on hastily, and when he did not answer her, she tapped her fingers onto the marble bench irritated.

A few minutes later and he still did speak, so she began to clack her tongue to the roof of her mouth, making the most annoying sound. He seemed disturbed for a second, however his usual composed demeanour returned and he sat staring back at her with blank eyes that revealed nothing. She tried other ways to get him frustrated, so he would spill the beans. She had begun tapping her feet on the ground and also scratching her nails onto the leg of the wooden chair she was sitting on. She left scraps that were very obvious to the eye.

"Stop that will you?" He snapped, and she stared at him with eyes that screamed, _tell me_.

Killian sighed in defeat, acknowledging her presence and begged her to stop damaging his precious property in exchange for some answers. He had chosen the deal very carefully, adding the word _some, _and not _all_.

Killian was a smart lass, keen and very perceptive when it came to details - he had learned this at the island. But the island would not be one of the topics open for discussion, _not today at least. _"I'll tell you what you want to know if you promise me one thing."

"What is that?" she voiced.

"That you will be careful around _Pan_, Ana. He may look like a boy but he's a bloody demon."

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Yet again, Ana was left wondering _what the fuck in the name of god was going on?_

* * *

I hope you caught my hint about Killian travelling to a tropical island. Anyone care to guess what that might be?


	4. Chapter 4

**SWEAT AND TEARS**

In a town where the past haunts the present, Ana, a girl running from her old life, stumbles into Peter, a boy who is mysterious in more ways than one. As her past unravels, she comes to learn the story of two people whose forbidden love lead to terrible revenge and how their decisions placed upon them now; a world of '_sweat and tears'. _[PAN/OC AU, M for mature themes (smut), cussing & slight violence]

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Once Upon a Time! No copyright is intended. I only own the plot and any original characters._

_Music Inspiration: Heart of Gold - Birdy, Cut - Plumb_

_Author's Note: Remember these next few chapters will be in the past (e.g. Killian re-telling the past to Ana). Please note italics are in the present, and normal is in the past. Enjoy this chapter! _

* * *

"_Peter Pan wasn't always a monster. In the beginning, he was just a little boy, searching-_

_-searching for something._

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_In the end he found it. But it changed him forever..."_

* * *

**44 years ago**

"Felix." Peter's voice boomed through the tree tops, as he now stood with arms crossed and both feet planted firmly on the ground. He was now watching the boys attentively as they scattered around the camp site, all scurrying off in different directions, following the orders of Pan - they called him _Pan_ for they could not call him Peter; it was forbidden to do so.

"Yes Pan?" Felix answered, and Peter's eyes moved back onto the boy with the slash that scarred his face. Peter smiled when he saw that the older boy had his green hood on. _Green really was a good colour_. The hood covered most of his face, the only thing exposed was his nose and mouth and the other half of his body was fully cloaked beneath the mass of green.

"I need you to you to do something for me." Felix raised one eyebrow although Peter could not see, "There's a... _Package _arriving late tomorrow and I need you to take care of things around here while I am gone."

"What is it?" Felix asked, a genuine question but nonetheless, Peter stared at him incredulously as if Felix had spoken out of line. But the older boy showered no fear for his words. Instead of scolding him, like he would usually would, -but since he was in a good mood today- he gave him a answer that would suffice for now.

"Let's just say it's going to very exciting, for the both of us, for _all _of us." Pan said firmly, his lips curling up to reveal an ecstatic smirk and flashy white teeth. "I would do it myself, but I have other _matters _to attend to." Peter snapped, "You are to do this job for me. Make sure you distract them. No boys are to follow me. It might get a little... _complicated_, if you do so. Is that clear?"

"Of course Pan."

Peter nodded and went back to staring at his lost boys rearranging parts of the campsite for the new _arrival. _He smirked as he thought of all the fun he could have with this new toy. Unbeknownst to him, a grin had begun to spread across his face and Felix caught on swiftly but did not question as to why.

"For now, I need you to help the boys prepare for the celebration we will have tomorrow night."

"Celebration?" Felix's voice heightened to a higher pitch as he stood shocked. Peter looked at the boy, and stared at him, burying in confusion.

"Yes." he confirmed and repeated, "Celebration. Didn't you get my notice?"

"What notice?" Felix exclaimed. Peter only frowned more deeply.

"No matter. That will be fixed soon enough. Now, go help the boys pick some berries or something..." His voice trailed off as he began to stalk away into the cover of darkness, the trees forming an archway as he walked, then closing behind him until Felix could no longer see him anymore. He had disappeared into the night, like he usually did.

Felix obeyed Peter's wishes but began to wonder why there was so much unanswered questions floating above their heads like a cloud. Pan always kept secrets from his lost boys, even Felix, his second in command, best friend and the closest thing Peter had to a family. Even despite this, Peter still felt it was necessary to keep everyone in the dark, until the last moment when he shone light onto the subject when he needed something to be done.

However Felix knew better than to question Pan's motives - because _Peter Pan never fails_.

.

Peter had wandered onto the shores of the beach. After the misunderstanding between Felix and him, he needed to clear some facts up. He had specifically ordered his shadow to inform Felix on the situation a few days prior, but as it seemed, it had not done so.

Peter's feet grounded themselves into the soft sand, and continued to walk purposefully until he was on the edge of the water; the waves barely grazing his toes and the sea breeze eminent, rustling through his hair. He let his hands fall loosely to his sides, while feeling the comfort of his most trusted dagger safely secured to his waist. He closed his eyes and summoned his shadow. It came not much later.

_What is it that you need Pan?_

"I need to know why you didn't deliver my little message to Felix." Peter demanded, arms folded across his chest as he huffed out the words.

His shadow floated effortlessly, hovering around him in circles. _I did as you told_.

"Then why was Felix not informed on the matter?" Peter spoke heatedly. He could feel the shadow shrug which only made Peter more angry.

_Maybe he forgot_.

Clearly its response was not something he wanted to hear. "No." Peter disagreed though he was irritated by the (_lack of_) answers he was being given, "Felix never forgets. Something is wrong here, something feels off..."

He looked out into the vast ocean. Deep in its depths and far from Neverland was the only thing that could save the island and himself. She was a days away but time would pass quickly soon. He had subconsciously taken a step further into the water, feeling drawn to _her_, despite the stars, oceans and realms that separated them. He reached out timidly and traced the outline of the star that shone the brightest in the night - _the second star to the right_. He sighed and reminded himself, _be patient_.

The shadow floated behind him; its bright white eyes still staring immensely at Pan, who now had his back towards it. It reached a hand to touch Pan on the shoulder but it retracted itself when Peter spoke.

"When did you speak to him?"

_Two nights ago._

"Where?" Peter quickly said, earning a moment of silence from his shadow before it spoke briefly.

_Down at the mermaid lagoon._

"Why was he down there?" He inquired crisply; so much so that it sounded like a demand. The urgency of the situation pressed on the forefront of his mind and he nodded to himself. He tried to maintain an emotionless face, and it only slipped for only a second when his shadow stared at him with its wary eyes and replied.

_I don't know._ And then Peter frowned.

"Did he answer you when you relayed my instructions?" He hastened to reply and the shadow only confirmed his suspicions with a shake of its head.

_No._

"That doesn't seem like Felix." Pan muttered quietly to himself, narrowing his eyes suspiciously, before repeating again out loud. "Felix would never do that." He said flatly, staring out into the deep blue again. He peered at it for a moment before setting his eyes on a particular target - _or thing _- and waded into the shallow shore; the waves crashing onto his panted legs. He only continued to walk further, gliding effortlessly through the tops of the water. The water reached his knees before he stopped. He was staring at the cave opposite the shore he was standing upon. It housed most of the island's fishy inhabitants and was notoriously well-known as the place people went to when they had given up all hope - _a place to die_.

The shadow hovered behind him, and spoke._ Then who?_

"I have a feeling I know who." Peter answered, the tiniest of smirk playing on his lips, "She's been trying to interfere with my plans for quite a while now." He swallowed; the smile grew wider, "No matter though, she will experience the pain of death soon enough. I just have to visit an old friend first."

It nodded. _Shall I deliver the package as agreed tomorrow? _Changing the subject, the shadow followed up on Pan's previous request.

"Yes." Peter nodded. "Go now. I have something that I need to take care of."

.

Killian was on the Jolly Roger when uneasiness settled upon his stomach. There was a gut wrenching sensation coursing through his body that made him want to vomit. He stumbled to the edge of the ship, pushing his head over the wooden sides as he looked into the calming bobs of water crashing into the wooden frame of the boat. He stared at his reflection in water. It had horribly distorted his appearance but not all had been untrue. He was far skinner and looking malnourished, his complexion a deathly pale colour, as if he had not ventured out into the sunlight for years. The well know arrogance and charm had been replaced by sadistic remarks and batted eyelashes that _screamed_ death. He was the spitting image of a man with a dying wish.

As a glimmer in the corner of his eye caught his attention, he suddenly knew what was causing these horrible sensations.

"_Pan._" He growled.

Peter only chuckled and greeted him in kind, "_Killian_." - only with more cheer. He paused and tapped a finger on his chin, "Or should I say _Hook_?"

Killian did not have the effort within him anymore to even roll his eyes. Instead, he opted for a simple disgruntled demand, "What is it that you want from me?"

"I need information." Pan spoke, shrugging his shoulders as if his request was easy to come across. Obviously, Pan had thought his inquiry had been innocent enough, but knowing full well what the boy was capable of (and how it was second nature to him to _kill _and _torture _and _deceive_), Killian narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"What kind of information?" He spoke cautiously, gripping the ledge of the Jolly Roger rather tightly with his fingers. His back was pressed up firmly against the wood as the younger boy approached him, with the same devilishly wicked smirk painting his more cheery face.

When he was within distance of speaking normally without having to yell, he delved further on the matter, "I need to know about mermaids."

Killian's posture relaxed a little but his shoulder still remained rigid and his movements robotic-like (it could've been possibly working the ship on his own and was over tired, but the more valid reason was the devil that was cleverly disguised as a teenage boy). His arms remained plastered by his side and a stern look still dominated his face, "What about them?"

"I need to know about sirens more specifically." Peter spoke, enunciating the word _sirens_. He watched Killian with the most inquisitive eyes as Killian mouthed the word,

"_Sirens._" Clearly, he had heard of these before.

Pan was now leaning the right side of his body on the centre mask that was the supported the whole ship and its sails. "I'm assuming by your pitch that you've heard of them?"

"Only what little is spoken about them in myths and folk tales." He answered innocently, "Are they true?" Killian was far too naive, even for his age (although he would grow wiser _but_ not older in the years to come).

Peter shrugged. "Most of them." Killian's eyebrows immediately shot up as his body tensed, "What do you know about them anyway?"

"I've always been told that they are beautiful but incredibly deadly."

Pan nodded, but this provided little relief for Killian, "Both are true. They lure you with their charm. They can be seen to be exotic and beautiful but once they're under water, they turn into these horrid look creatures - _carnivores _that prey on _man-flesh_. They pull you down and drown you." Killian swallowed, "They say the last thing a dying man feels is the weight of the water crushing their skulls and the excruciating pain of their lungs bursting as they inhale only water." And gulped. "You'd be lucky if that kills you."

"Why?" His voice quivered and he wasn't even sure he wanted to know the answer.

"Because what they do to you after is far worse than death or any torture any man can inflict." Pan answered simply, shrugging his shoulders as if he did not have a care in the world. On the other hand, Killian was gripping the edge of his ship so tightly he could literally squeeze and it would all crumble down. His eyes were wide in shock. Sure he had heard of the stories from the sailors he had used to admire so greatly but he could not imagine (no one possibly could) how terrifying and deadly they were exactly. Until now.

Killian was anxious of Pan's answer if he was to ask the next question, but he did so anyway, with the greatest fear evident in his soft, hushed tones, "What do they do?"

Peter moved one shoulder upwards, shrugging. He did the same for his eyebrows, "No one knows. No ones lived to tell the tale."

Killian shivered - partly from the cold breeze but mainly from the chilling story, "Why are you telling me this?" questioning softly.

"Take it as a warning." Killian felt his heart skip a beat, "**Never** go near the mermaid lagoon."

Killian nodded.

Changing the subject swiftly, Pan queried about their mutual friend, only pausing for a second for Killian to catch his breath and soothe his racing heart, "Has our little friend said anything as to where I would find Chamylia?"

He shook his head wildly before answering uneasily, "Who is Chamylia?"

"A siren." Peter explained, but did not really explain at the same time. He was short for words as he needed to hurry up and finish this conversation quickly. And he added more, which only terrified Killian more. "The goddess of sirens, actually."

"What do you want with her?" Killian whispered but it was barely audible. Peter chuckled at Killian's innocence, and stated,

"I'm going to kill her."

"Pan-" Killian protested but Peter only interrupted and snapped.

"I will not have her interfering with my plans."

"What plans!" Hook demanded furiously, eyes widening at the younger boys motives behind the information he required. Killian wanted to slap himself for being so naive. _How could be so foolish to think that for once, Peter had other reasons behind inquiring about such deadly creatures, other than to inflict pain and death_.

"Nothing you need concern yourself with, laddie." An evil smile creeped onto his face, "How is the beautiful Tinkerbell by the way?"

Killian shook his head and cast his eyes down onto his feet, replying sadly, "I wouldn't know. I haven't heard from her _or_ seen her for weeks now."

Pan frowned, without Tinkerbell this was going to be harder. His demeanour shifted, becoming softer before hardening once more when he spoke, "Take it from me Killian - if you haven't seen someone on this island for weeks now - _you should assume the worst._"

And before Killian could speak, Pan was gone.

* * *

The following day was spent on making sure everything was in its perfect place. Peter had put in special effort to ensure that nothing could go wrong that following morning. _He needed it to go smoothly._

_And it did._

* * *

On schedule Peter went down to the fields the following day, to retrieve his special package. It had been _delivered_ only moments ago, but Peter watched from the safety of the trees while it began to roll around, clutching its side in pain. She was wincing every time she moved her torso, and was groaning, complaining, whinging, about how she had been dropped from an incredible height. Peter was intrigued as to why the girl had not once questioned why she was being carried by a shadow (if she even knew what that was).

Peter looked over the girl with a stern look, grumbling disapprovingly at his shadow's lack of care. Peter would not have his new toys damaged before he had time to play with it. But he did not care about that at this very moment, he was about to meet his new belonging. _It was going to be exciting_.

As she was facing away from him, he seized this as an opportunity to approach her. He tip toed across the over grown grass, trying not to make any sound - i_t was all just a game to him_. And the objective for this very game was to make her believe that he was a magical being that could make her whole world come true, and fill her wildest of dreams. In return, he would receive the thing he needed the most.

Her love, but more importantly,

_Her heart. _

When she noticed him, she let out a small fright. She was _sweating_ and _dried tears_ stained her cheeks - obviously she had never gone flying before (with a shadow nonetheless) or perhaps it was the pain leaving her family caused... Peter didn't know. Her mouth dropped open as she stared at him; it was moving but no words were formed. She continued on like this for a while until Peter thought that it was time to put we out of her misery.

"What is your name?"

She stared at him, eyes wide in fear before stuttering. "A-a-a... Anabeth." Peter extended out a friendly hand, and the young girl grasped it tightly, winding her fingers around his, "But call me Ana."

_"Welcome to Neverland Ana."_

* * *

**_Chamylia - pronounced Sha - Mee - Li - Yah_**


	5. Chapter 5

**SWEAT AND TEARS**

In a town where the past haunts the present, Ana, a girl running from her old life, stumbles into Peter, a boy who is mysterious in more ways than one. As her past unravels, she comes to learn the story of two people whose forbidden love lead to terrible revenge and how their decisions placed upon them now; a world of '_sweat and tears'. _[PAN/OC AU, M for mature themes (smut), cussing & slight violence]

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Once Upon a Time! No copyright is intended. I only own the plot and any original characters._

_Author's Note: __Please remember that this is still in the past, and yes, this is the same Ana. It will be explained soon enough why she hasn't aged and seemed to have forgotten her memories..._

* * *

Her eyes were steadied on his face, her hands were now held tightly in his own as he smiled down at her. She was cautious of this strange boy who had conveniently _found_ her when she fell from the sky so abruptly. Ana was beginning to wonder if he had been standing there the whole time, watching her as she rolled in the grass crying out swear words. A small spot of red rose to her cheeks as she looked away. But the strange boy never let go of her hands.

"Um..." She began awkwardly, alternating her stance from her left to right foot. Using her free hand, she smoothed her night gown; the slinky white silk dress was all that separated her from the chill in the air.

Following his eyes, she looked down, and saw that goosebumps had begin to form on her arms and legs. But more importantly, he was eying her like a predator would their prey. Using her free hand, she tugged at the ends of her dress, pulling it down slightly. Most of her leg was still exposed, as the gown was only short - it almost made her feel like she was wearing lingerie from the lace trimming on the bodice and the thin spaghetti straps that held the garment to her body.

And she shivered.

Peter (_but she did not know his name yet) _only smirked and clutched onto her tiny hand more tightly. She gasped when he did so, and returned her eyes to his. She felt the way his eyes were burning into hers, _but she could not look away_. It was like a magnet had pulled her towards here, to this mysterious island. The magnetic pull was the reason why she grasped onto the shadow's hand when it came to whisk her away in the dead of the night. It had made no sense to her as she was dangling mid-air, and soaring high through the stars - _but_ as she looked at him, everything just seemed to fall into place.

He was the reason why she was here - but _did he bring her here? _

She argued within herself, a part of her definitely disagreed to him being the reason, but another - _a larger part _- did not rule it out completely. So, she began to satisfy her wandering mind, "Why am I here?" She questioned.

He raised his eyebrow and a smirk tugged on his lips, "If you're asking why I brought you here" he was grinning by now "I didn't. You brought yourself here."

Her mouth moved in a circular motion, forming the word "What?" if Ana had not been confused more, she certainly was now. "I know how I got here, but I want to know _why._" He tilted his head to the side, and frowned. She ignored this and spoke again, "I want to know why the shadow brought me here... Why did it come for me?"

Pan was grinning now; he could barely contain his wild excitement._ So, she knew what a shadow was. _He was impressed. _What else did she know?_

"I wouldn't know either. It comes for anyone that feels _unloved, unwanted _and just..._ lost." _Peter stated. Much of what he had been true, except for the part that he didn't know - because _he did_. He had summoned the shadow to her realm and had it pluck her from her old life and plant her in his. He had long ago singularised her, choosing her specifically from the many girls that occupied the dozen of realms. It was because she was needed for a specific reason.

_She was going to save Neverland._

"How long will I be here?" _Wasn't she just thirsty for answers_.

"I don't know." It was another lie. She would be here for as long as he allowed (and possibly more, if she wanted to - although he doubted she would want to after he took what he needed). "But if you're going to be here for a while, I might as well show you around." He suggested and she nodded simply in response.

And he turned and pulled her from the field, tugging her as he gestured into the darkness of the trees. She stood unmoving, her feet firmly implanted into the grass as she peered into the blackness. "We're going in there?" Her voice shook. She was obviously scared, although she tried to put on a brave impression (which he could see right through).

"Neverland is a wonderful place, _Ana_. You're going to love it." Peter reassured her and once again, gave her a little pull. She came along more willingly and compliant this time round.

"Wait!" She called out, and he stopped when he almost reached the trees, "I don't even know your name." He grinned, "I think it is only fair that you tell me your name as I have told you mine."

He nodded and battered his eyelashes - which made Ana's heart flutter unceremoniously, "I'm Peter, Peter Pan."

She bobbed her head up and down in a slow rotating motion, nodding, to which Peter only laughed. Sensing how idiotic she must've looked in his eyes, she bit down on her lip hard to prevent herself from doing anything more, that could present herself as being more stupid than she actually was. The pain had easily distracted her mind, and she hissed in pain when she felt a trickle of blood trickling on the edge of her lip. Peter looked at it; his eyes heavy with blackness and lust as she licked her lips in a clockwise direction.

Satisfied that there was no other blood and completely flustered and embarrassed, she turned to look at Peter shyly, who had now snapped from his little trance and had begin to lead her deeper into the forest. She had unconsciously gripped onto his hand, squeezing it to the point where it could of cut the blood circulation from his arm to palm, but he showed no pain. Ana was worried she was going to lose him, as he swerved, jumped and turned around bends, weaving in and out of the trees effortlessly. He was moving around with so much speed and fluidity that she assumed he had been living on the island long enough to the point of knowing it like the back of his hand.

(Little did she know that _he was actually the island_.)

He smirked, although she could not see, when she had pushed herself so close to his back that her panted breaths were driving his ears insane. He could hear the uneven thumping of her heart pounding in her chest, as he forced himself to control his inner animal - _it took a whole lot in him to not rip her heart out right then and there_. But he needed more than her heart to save the island and himself, he needed her to give him all her love, until she was useless without him. _He needed to break her_. It was necessary to do so, for him to be able to obtain the full power of being totally immortal.

"Where are you leading me to?" She questioned, her voice whispering in his ear as her body pressed up against his. She could feel the curves of every inch of her body and he shut his eyes. Squeezing them, trying to contain the effect she was having on him - it was only normal for a teenage boy to have these sort of... _feelings... or needs. _

He was not the most well behaved boy on the island, but he had to pretend he was a complete gentleman if she was to believe in him. And so, he suppressed _the urge _and answered her, inwardly smacking himself when he heard his own voice pitch to a squeak. "You'll see soon enough."

But he would not rule out the idea of having_ fun - if she was not against it._ (He would love to hear her beg for it first.)

His grin only widened, his steps quickening as a result from his newly found happiness. She hastened to catch up with him, winding her arm around his, so their elbows now interlocked at the joint. He was surprised to see that she had already warmed up to him already, despite only having been a total stranger to her not 20 minutes ago. His grin spread a little more when he thought to himself, _it is going to be so easy to make her fall for me_.

Composing his flattered expression and calming his eager insides, he began to ask her about her past as a way to make casual conversation. But he already knew what he needed to know. "So how old are you?"

"I just turned seventeen last month." She chirped happily although her voice emphasised how tired she was from the trekking. He made a special effort to slow down a little - _technically _he could fly them to the destination, but Peter didn't think she was ready for that so soon. "How about you?"

"I'm seventeen too." It was somewhat true, for he had been seventeen for a _very_ long time.

"Oh." Was all she said, and he frowned at the response. _Was she not happy he was the same age? _

"Why the sad face?" He questioned, and she put up a smile.

"It's just that I didn't expect you to be so young... you know. I thought you'd be much older considering how long you've been stuck here."

"What makes you think I've been here for a long time?" She flustered for words and Peter only grinned.

"It's just that you know this place so well. So I could only assume that either you've been here long enough to know your way around without looking or _you are this island_." She was joking of course when she spoke the last part, and he laughed alongside her, releasing a breath of relief. She could not find out about this until later.

"Funny thing is, I've been seventeen for a little bit now." He chuckled, and ran his long fingers through his tangled strands, flexing the muscle in his arms. She snickered at his subtle attempt at impressing her.

She cocked a brow, "How long?"

He shrugged and replied, "A few years tops." (_Another lie._)

"So you don't age on this island?" She guessed and Peter nodded. "Does that mean if I'm stuck here for a million years, I would still be the same age?"

He threw his head back and flashed a cheeky grin, "Yes, if the island still existed."

"So what happens if I die?..." She inquired more keenly. "Do I really die in reality?

He chuckled, "This is reality, Ana." He reminded her and she rolled her eyes at him, earning another laugh from Peter. She smacked him in the arm and said,

"You know what I mean."

.

Peter spent the whole afternoon with Ana. He showed her parts of the island which he deemed worthy of seeing but he had purposefully left out the tour to the echo caves and the mermaid lagoon - which he vowed never to let her go near. For the time being, he would protect her as best as he could, _because he needed her_ (but secretly a little part inside wanted to willingly.)

They were standing on Dead Man's Peak as the day reached its end; the sun withdrew behind the mountains and the sky was painted with streaks of colourful reds, oranges, pinks and purples. She gazed up in awe and reached out a hand to trace the sky. He watched her with a small smile as she twirled around, soaking in all the colourful palette. Ana had never seen anything so vibrant and so beautiful.

As the colour began to fade, her expression became saddened. Her arm dropped back to her side, and she took a step backwards so she was standing in line with Peter. She hooked an arm around his, and nestled herself closer to him, feeling the warmth he provided as the chill took her by surprise. She shivered and he asked,

"Are you cold?"

She nodded hastily and then began to dig herself further into Peter. She could feel his hot breath on her forehead as she pressed her head to his chest; teeth chattering. He wrapped his arms around her, and began to lead her away from the ledge. He lead her in the direction of the camp.

At first, Peter was a little hesitant to return to camp, but it was imperative that he do so now before she froze to death. She was shivering in his arms and naturally he wrapped his arms a little tighter, drawing her closer. It had slipped from his mind how cold Neverland's nights were and he hadn't once noticed her in her tiny lace gown since he first set his eyes on her. He did not know what awaited them on the other side of the island and whether or not the boys would grow a liking to Ana. Peter sincerely hoped they would-

-As long as they did not get_ too close._

More time ticked by and he now found himself walking faster, her feet scuffling inches behind him, mimicking his every movement. With each bigger step they took, they were this much closer to reaching the warmth of the campfire. And not long after, they were there.

"We're here."

"Here why?" She questioned and had spoken more, but her teeth chattered too much for the rest to be understood. He ushered her towards the hollowed out tree, which had been transformed into a little house. They quickened their pace as they stroke across the camp quickly. By this point, she was far too cold to notice the boys shooting peculiar looks in their direction. Peter on the other hand, only ignored them and scowled when they made a move to talk.

They were stopped halfway to their destination by a boy with a diagonal line that scarred his face. Peter almost growled when the boy interfered.

Ana felt his hand slip away from her waist and she looked up at Peter with a confused look. Peter's worried look from moments ago was replaced by a very annoyed and irritated glare. And she shuddered at the hostility in his voice,

"What do you want Felix?" He barked.

"We need to talk." Was all he said, and Peter only nodded and began to walk away.

Ana looked around and voiced with her sickened state, "Peter?"

"Oh right." He countered, and pointed her in the same direction as the tree. "Go in there and you'll find fresh sets of clothes. Choose anything you feel comfortable with." She nodded and walked away briskly.

When she entered the tree, her first instinct was to question how it looked so small on the outside but was actually enormous on the inside. She looked around, roaming from shelf to shelf, to Peter's desk and to his bed, where clothes were now folded neatly and laid waiting for her. She chose a long white tunic and brown pants, pulling on knee high black boots when she finished dressing herself. She didn't like the way the coarse material was rough and itchy to her skin and how they rubbed against her uncomfortably, every time she moved. Nonetheless, she agreed they were far warmer than her original silk dress. She tossed it aside, bundling up her old clothes and sat them on top of an empty chair in the corner.

Peter walked in not much longer and crossed his arms, leaning against the wall as he smirked at her. She was tying up her hair because she did not want it to get caught on low hanging branches like it did many times before. She spun around when she noticed him, and put her hands on her hip,

"Do I look ok?" She joked.

Rather than reply, Peter walked up to her and snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her towards him as he whispered sultrily in her ear. "Does this answer your question?" Her cheeks flustered as he led her back out the tree. She could no longer feel the cold. _Perhaps it was the clothes but the more likely explanation was the lack of distance between her and Peter_. "Let's go."

* * *

_Did you get the thing Ana has with slinky white dresses..._


	6. Chapter 6

**SWEAT AND TEARS**

In a town where the past haunts the present, Ana, a girl running from her old life, stumbles into Peter, a boy who is mysterious in more ways than one. As her past unravels, she comes to learn the story of two people whose forbidden love lead to terrible revenge and how their decisions placed upon them now; a world of '_sweat and tears'. _[PAN/OC AU, M for mature themes (smut), cussing & slight violence]

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Once Upon a Time! No copyright is intended. I only own the plot and any original characters._

_Music Inspiration: Terrible Love - Birdy_

_Author's Note: Happy valentines day people! Enjoy this extra chapter written especially for the day (you can say it's half fluff/half angst) - AKA a Bonus chapter yay! xx_

* * *

When Peter returned to her side, she spoke, "You're the leader of these boys?" She moved her hand in a sweeping motion as she gestured towards all the younger boys who were now jumping and dancing around the massive campfire. They were wild in their attire, she noted, having dressed themselves in feathers and recently poached animal skin. To this, she cringed. Some also wore skulls on their heads, others antlers - for pride or for some wicked pleasure, she did not know. Nor did she really want to.

"Yes." Peter answered.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ana asked, her eyes shining brightly at the taller boy.

"Didn't think to bring it up." He shrugged. He looked at her and she managed a small smile as he offered her his hand, "Come on. You must be hungry." She could only nod weakly, agreeing when her stomach growled loudly. She shied away, hiding her embarrassment from Peter who chuckled at her whilst he led her towards the bright, glowing fire. The flickering orange light was growing closer and through each step, she found herself leaning closer to Peter's side. Their hands were interlocked, and now bounced as they strode, feet in rhythm as they swayed to which ever way they found the wind was blowing.

A few minutes later, Ana was filled to the brim with food that Peter had ordered the boys to fetch for her. She had denied any extra food when she had reached her absolute limit. Some of the boys looked upon her denial with sad faces, which made her feel awfully terrible for declining their offering. Instead she made a promise to each one to dance with them whenever they wished, "Just not tonight." she would say. The younger boys nodded greedily at her promise and the others simply nodded and off they would go.

Some returned to their exotic dance 'round the camp fire, the small proportion of the remainder scampered off into the forest. But she did not question where they went.

"Ana?" It was Pan calling her. She could recognise his voice anywhere. Ana did not know why; she did not understand how she could be this attached to this strange boy that she had met only this afternoon. (_Ana did not know that there was a reason for this. A very specific reason.)_

"Yes Peter?" She replied sweetly. He grinned at her, extending his elbow as he reached out for her hand. She bit onto her lip, deliberating on whether to remain seated as her stomach threatened to burst or to follow Pan, where the adventures he would take her on were always exciting and exhilarating. She agreed on the latter.

"Would you like a dance, _my love_?" Ana shivered when Peter whispered the last two words. She latched onto his hand desperately for support as he whisked her away into the night once more.

They spun and leaped. They slow-danced and even tap danced. But they never let go of each other - a burning sensation erupting from both of them whenever they weren't near each other.

Peter twirled Ana in circles and she laughed musically when she began to feel dizzy. He placed a hand on her waist and the other holding her hand to the side as she rested her head to his chest. He could feel her irregular breathing as he fought the urge not to kiss her. She looked beautiful under the moonlight, her eyes shining with such hope (_Peter hated it that he would have to break this) _and her lips so plump he could melt into if he gave into his urges. He bit his lip and continued to sway with her. There was no music, for all the music they needed was Ana's laugh.

And so much music there was.

By the time, they both had exhausted themselves, Ana's feet were completely worn down. They both retired back to Peter's little tree, and she pulled off the boots that were beautiful to look at but horrible to dance in. Peter made a mental note to get Ana a new pair of shoes that both matched her taste in style and was suitable for all types of _activities. _

"Peter..." Ana began quietly as she hovered at the doorway.

"What is it Ana?" He inquired, his voice showing the slightest concern.

"Where am I to sleep?" She finished more loudly.

He laughed and motioned her further into his room. He sat on his bed and tapped on the spot beside him. Her eyes wandered from his face to his hands, then back to his face as she bit down onto her bottom lip, revealing the white colour of her top teeth. She looked at him nervously as she took small steps to him, pausing slightly when she reached the bottom of the bed. She fiddled with the bed post, not daring to move any closer to Peter.

She had never slept in the same bed as a boy before.

And it scared her.

He looked at her, frowning when he saw her distressed state. "What's wrong?"

She opened her mouth to speak but then closed it and looked down at the floor in embarrassment. Her cheeks flushed scarlet red. "It's just... I haven't..." She couldn't finish her sentence.

But she didn't need to as Peter finished it for her. "Slept in the same bed as a boy before." She nodded timidly and he sighed in relief. "It's alright, I get it. You can take the bed, I'll sleep with the boys tonight."

Her mouth opened slightly again to protest but no words could come out. Her eyebrows creased as she wondered why she had to be afraid of sharing a bed with Peter. After all, he was just a boy.

Peter stood up, straightening the creases on his jacket. He walked towards his desk adjacent to his bed and unhooked his belt, placing the dagger onto the white wood. His back hunched as he traced the outline of his dagger. Ana could see him let out a sullen sigh and when he moved to push himself past her and out the door, she stopped him. She grabbed his wrist and she could see his body tighten.

She swallowed and faced her fear, "Stay."

His arm tensed but he did not turn around. He shook her hand off his and took another step. Frantic of being alone, she reached out again and grasped it tighter. This time, she did not let go.

"Please." She begged and finally he gave in, nodding.

She held onto his hand, squeezing the life out of it as she led him to the bed. She proceeded to take off the shirt and pants, which she had been dying to strip off since the moment they touched her skin. Comfort washed over her as she chucked the clothes onto the bottom of the bed. She did not even bother to cover herself, feeling complacent in just her underwear. It was as if, just feeling this little relief somehow made all her other fears vanish.

Peter on the other hand, swallowed hardly. A very uneasy lump growing in his throat, "Um..." he began nervously, "I think you should put something on."

"Oh!" Ana scrambled into bed as Peter retrieved one of his shirts from the opposite side of the room.

"You know... just in case." Even Peter sounded a little flustered as he threw his shirt to her, turning around to give her the decency of changing without a boy leering at her. She deliberately coughed when she finished, letting him know that it was okay to turn around. She moved under the covers of the doona and snuggled further into the bed; feeling Peter's obviously well-worn shirt beneath her skin.

As casual and calm as Peter could manage, he walked back over to the side of the bed that had been left untouched by Ana. He unbuttoned his shirt slowly - as if teasing Ana - and slipped it over his shoulder, revealing his lean body. She had to sink her top teeth down onto her bottom lip to prevent herself from moaning at the sight. He sat down on the edge of the bed, his back bare and open to her privy eyes. She let them roam and fill her wildest imaginations. Peter slipped off his boots and dived into bed, _perhaps too hastily_.

Ana only laughed and voiced, "Good night Peter."

* * *

When Ana awoke, it was late into the night. It was pitch black outside and the only sounds heard were those of the wind howling roughly. Ana could not bring herself to sleep, even with the knowledge of someone else being right beside her. She knew she could rely on Peter (_how wrong she would be) _but the thought of leaving her family and being completely alone, made her stomach churn uneasily.

She swung her feet over the edge and slipped on the -not very comfortable- boots, throwing over Peter's jacket on top of her white shirt. When her body left the warmth of the sheets and the safety of Peter's chambers, she shuddered from the quick change in temperature but soon grew accustomed to it when she left the campsite altogether and wandered off into the trees. She did not know where she was heading, only that she needed somewhere silent to think and _breathe_.

Every moment she was with Peter, she was choking on thin air. It was an effect he had on her that she could not release herself from. She could not free herself from the bounds that held her to Peter. No matter how much she denied and rejected the urges, she knew deep inside, he would always hold a special part in her. It had been less than 24 hours and he had already stolen a little portion of her. _What could he steal if he had a lifetime? _

Her feet dragged her a long ways from the lost boy's campsite but she soon found herself on a shore. Her feet touched soft sand for the first time in years and she almost squealed in delight when they squished between her toes. She saw the tide seeping up on to the beach and she could only marvel at the crystal clear water that reflected the beauty of the night sky. She stared in wonder like a child at candy for the first time.

She kicked off her boots and approached the water line hesitantly, holding her breath as the tide rolled over her feet. She released this breath when she felt the soothing water on her aching feet. She swore never again to wear those boots.

A glimmer at the corner of her eye caught her attention and she whisked her head in that direction. She saw a beautiful woman perched on a rock. Ana inspected her closely and with detail and she gasped when she saw a tail. Without knowing, she had walked closer to the young woman, whose hair was as blue as the sea itself and whose skin was as pure as the sand.

Ana had never seen anything so exotic. "What are you?" She questioned unknowingly.

The woman laughed and swished her tail in the water, splashing water on Ana's legs. "I'm a mermaid of course."

"I've never seen a mermaid before." Ana stated, looking at the older woman with peeked interest. "You're so beautiful." She whispered and the mermaid laughed.

"Come closer and you'll get a better look." It beaconed. Upon hearing this, Ana was drawn, as if hypnotised to the woman. Her feet swept along the rocks as her eyes never left the mermaid's tail. She had covered ten metres in less than a second, and was within arms distance of the mermaid when a voice yelled out to her.

"ANA!"

Ana snapped from her trance as she recognised Peter. She heard the distress in his voice and her head whipped back around to see the mermaid transform into a hideous monster with sharp fangs and dragon-like eyes. Ana leapt back in shock and screamed at the top of her lungs. "PETER!" And that was the last thing she heard before she was dragged under.

She screamed but her mouth swallowed nothing but water. Her lungs ached for air and her throat burned from the salt water. She gasped and she choked. Ana fought the mermaid with her last breath; kicking at its face, clawing at whatever body part she could reach until everything started to go hazy. And her eyes started to close...

* * *

_Short chapter, but hopefully the next will be a little longer and maybe some s.m.u.t? eeee, if you be nice and review, maybe I'll make it happen. Until next time!_


	7. Chapter 7

**SWEAT AND TEARS**

In a town where the past haunts the present, Ana, a girl running from her old life, stumbles into Peter, a boy who is mysterious in more ways than one. As her past unravels, she comes to learn the story of two people whose forbidden love lead to terrible revenge and how their decisions placed upon them now; a world of '_sweat and tears'. _[PAN/OC AU, M for mature themes (smut), cussing & slight violence]

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Once Upon a Time! No copyright is intended. I only own the plot and any original characters._

_Music Inspiration: Cut - Plumb, Move Along - The Getaway Plan_

_Author's Note: Sorry this took so long... was getting my priorities -AKA school- sorted (and reading a hell lot of fanfiction too!)_

* * *

Without any hesitation, Peter leapt into the cool water and dove beneath in search of Ana. His eyes scanned through the clear water frantically; searching desperately for a body who was possibly fighting her captor or floating through the water. He knew she would be fighting as she was a fighter._ It was in her blood_. He had seen her at her worst and _even then_ she managed to scratch, bite, crawl her way through. She would fight until the very end - _Peter knew that much_. However in that split second where he found no signs of human life, he began to doubt her. He began to doubt whether she would pull through this time. His heart stopped beating and he felt a terrible ache begin to grow in his chest. A sob began to swell in his chest and it soared through the rest of his body, causing him to swim through the water, upwards towards the sky.

When he surfaced, he gasped for air; his lungs burning in tremendous pain. Whether it was from the lack of oxygen he was receiving or the pain of losing a girl he barely knew, his mind was too obscured to function right. He quickly glided through the water until he reached the shore. The bright yellow grains -which looked more like gold than ordinary sand- beneath his heaving body glistened under the moonlight. It illuminated the whole strand of beach, stretching kilometres to his right and left. His eyes scanned through the murky water but by this time the moon had been blocked by clouds, the night falling into a slumber of darkness, and it took too much strain on his eyes to look a second more.

He collapsed onto the soft cushion of the sand in defeat. Sweat covered his wet clothing, causing them to stick to his skin uncomfortably. His eyes remained open, staring into the foggy night sky, tears began to prick at his eyes. With no restraint from Peter, they began to trickle at first, until it was streaming down his cheeks continuously. Peter didn't move, his body as if paralysed from the events remained frozen, and his eyes were as they were before - wide with sorrow and grief.

Soon after, the tears were dried but his body was shaking from the combined effects of the cold water and the chilly night. He was blubbering crazily to himself, whimpering mournful, howling sounds. He was a complete wreck and for the first time, he allowed himself to be weak - to feel pain and to just... _feel emotion_.

His eyelids began to grow heavy with dampened heartache and he soon feel into a restless sleep, muttering the same words in his head like a prayer.

_"I'm so sorry Ana. I've failed you."_

.

Peter woke the following morning feeling fatigued and mentally drained. He found that it took an abnormal amount of energy to lift his hand to cover his eyes from the glare of the morning sun. Sighing tiredly, he collapsed back down. His head was throbbing with memories of the night before and the pain didn't seem to be subsiding. Closing his eyes, he opened his ears to the sound of crashing waves and the soft tune of the wind blowing by. He could feel dampness in his feet from where the tide had covered him the previous night. He tried to shake out any remaining water but his feet fell back down from the lack of energy.

With raked breaths, Peter forced himself onto his feet. He surveyed the beach one last time; looking for any signs of Ana but all he could see were the calm sea whose waves had died down and clear blue skies that indicated a good day ahead. His stomach churned as he thought, _it was not going to be a good day for him._ It was and would be a lengthy day of _sweat and tears_.

As his feet stumbled under his weight, his mind began to cloud with thoughts of the horrible scenarios she could be facing. He pictured her motionless, dead on the bottom of the ocean floor or worse, captured by the mermaid devil herself. They could be torturing her, putting her through immense pain for anything information she had on Peter. A low growl escaped his lips as he grew possessive of the young girl. _Ana was his_. And his _only_. Peter came up with a dozen ways he could make the mermaid race pay. He had complete and total control of the island. He could make it bend to his wishes and use his power to banish the mermaids and the sirens to a eternity of misery. Before that, he would make them dread the day they set their eyes on him and for whoever took Ana (he had a pretty good idea as to who), he would make them scream. Peter would break them until they were nothing but a pile of rubbish to be swept aside on the street.

"I'm so sorry, Ana." He coughed up a heartened apology, feeling the need for tears to fall. "I couldn't save you." And for the first time, he let them fall.

He was not likely to admit but he knew, Ana was changing him; moulding him into something he could make others believe in. And also someone, he knew he would be proud to be. He could already feel the shift in superiority and respect the lost boys placed upon him. Sure they had always been loyal to their leader, but they were always weary of his decisions, doubting him at every twist and turn. However now, with Ana by his side, they were beginning to follow him and Peter was starting to become a true leader.

"I'm sorry Ana. At first all I wanted was your heart, but now I know, you were always more than that. You made me a better person and I will always have you to thank for that. And now you're gone..." He swallowed, a sob clogging his throat, "I'll make them, I'll make all those who have wronged you pay." He looked up at the sky, where the star shone brightly upon the ocean. Then he stared down at his empty hands, where Ana should've been. "When I'm through, they will all burn in hell." It was a promise to Ana.

_And Peter Pan always kept his promises._

Peter marched through the jungle in the direction of the mermaid lagoon, not having enough strength to fly himself there. He was so delirious that he tripped over stones and fallen logs on his way. Blood seeped through his pants but he ignored it. The only thought was the one of the last moment he had with Ana. It played on repeat over and over, and each time he imagined himself doing something different. _If only_ he could've been there... _If only_ he could've saved her... _If only_ he could've gotten there faster to warn her... _Then maybe_ Ana would be alive.

He was bordering on insane as he muttered darkly to himself, laughing hysterically when he tripped over. He had gone crazed over losing Ana and his moods were lashing out to his surroundings. The island erupted into chaos, lightning shooting through the sky, trees flying in all directions and wind so strong it could blow you to another realm. Peter could only cackle manically as he struck his fist into a nearby tree. "Shit." Hissing when he felt the pain rocket through his arms. However, he almost felt grateful because for once, he was able to feel pain. At the time he lost Ana, he wasn't angry; he didn't feel any pain. All he did was cry and he did not stop for days. Centuries of long forgotten tears stained his red cheeks as his eyes were blood shot from the lack of sleep and the deprivation of any human contact. He had isolated himself, condoned to wandering the island alone and miserable.

He was sweating now. A fever had crept up on him and he could feel it taking its toll. His forehead was burning with heat but his body was as cold as ice. His eyes were half-closed and he could barely open them wide enough to know where he was going. He didn't care. He just needed an escape.

Half asleep, he fell over a log. Instead of pushing himself back up, he crawled into a bundle and hugged himself. He laughed when he considered how pathetic he would've looked. Broken and alone; how he pictured he would leave Ana a few weeks back. Oh how times have changed. It was now she who was floating through the ocean, having happily found herself in heaven, whilst he was doomed to roam the Earth with no one to love him and no one for him to care for. He slipped further into his hallucinations and found he no longer had any control of his estranged mind.

"Ana?" His voice called out.

She was standing before him, dressed in her white gown that glowed radiantly with purity and innocence. Her hair flew behind her, floating in the mind. She was laughing, her mouth turning upwards into a welcoming smile. Her plump lips were painted with glossy red lipstick and her eyes darkened with mascara. She walked towards him, and he made an effort to stand up.

He did so easily. However, he did not spare a moment to think how he had done it so without difficulty. He only stayed apart from her long enough to run towards her. Peter pushed his legs further as he lengthened his strides, closing the distance between the two. She was already standing, arms wide as she beaconed him closer. He almost leap into her arms as she caught him in a tight embrace. He clung on tightly, afraid that if he let go, she would disappear. She laughed at this.

Peter felt the way her silk gown caressed his skin smoothly and as the wind blew by, he caught the whiff of perfume - it was _her_ perfume. He had missed her scent so much. Just that alone almost drove him crazy again. He gripped onto her tighter and showered her with peppery kisses that he left from her cheek to the nape of her neck. She giggled and tried to push him away with failed attempts.

"I've missed you so much Ana." He said, voice laced with sorrow and lust.

Her eyes shone and a glimmer fluttered from within, "Why Peter? It has only been an hour."

"Yes, but it's felt like decades." He answered shortly, the need to touch her pushing him over the edge. He closed the distance between the two again, pushing her backwards until her spine was pressed against the tree firmly. A wicked grin licked at his face as he kissed her greedily. Soaking in her taste and her scent driving him wild. He looked over her one last time with lust filled eyes and she nodded.

It was the only permission he needed before he dove onto her hungrily. He lifted the hem of the dress, pulling it upwards while simultaneously feeling the way her soft skin felt on the palm of his hands. She shivered from the cold and he latched his lips onto her neck again, kissing and nipping at it fiercely before letting his mouth trail over her collar bone to the other untouched side of her neck. She gasped and opened her mouth when he kissed a sensitive area.

"Peter." She called out sweetly and he smiled into her skin. He nuzzled into her shoulder, dragging his lips across the hot flesh.

However, when she spoke his name again, it was filled with urgency. He frowned in disappointment and slight worry. "What's the matter?"

"You need to wake up." She instructed, pulling away from his touch.

He whimpered, confused. "What do you mean?" He reached out to brush her forearm but she retreated back. And as she spoke her last words, she began to disappear. "You need to wake up." She repeated and he reached out at her retreating form. He swung his arms at her but he caught nothing but air. He opened his mouth to plead her stay, she only gave him one last sad smile before she disappeared. And he was left missing her touch _once again_.

He was jostled away by the sound of a woman laughing. He was groggy and he could barely think straight. He propped himself on his elbows before surveying his surroundings. He found he was not in the forest anymore but in the mermaid lagoon itself. His eyebrows creased as he tried to think of how he had gotten there. When the very same woman spoke again, his eyes widened in fury and incomprehensible rage. "Chamylia!" He tried to force the words harshly and as a demand, it came as a whisper.

She sat on the rock, her tail slapping against the surface of the water, sending same ripples through out the caves. Although she seemed to know of his presence, she did not acknowledge him until much later, pulling her hair back into long braids that trailed down her exposed back. Her golden hair was glistening with fresh water and droplets clung to her skin. Satisfied with her appearance, she slowly turned on him, giving a smirking smile. "Peter Pan." She spoke his name and he shuddered. "What a nice surprise!" She exclaimed fakely, flashing her white toothy grin, her sharp fangs licking with poison.

"What the hell did you do to me?" He shouted, the tone and hostility increasing; venom dripped from his tongue. When he found the strength to push himself onto his feet, he stormed towards her. "What the fuck did you do to me?" He growled, his back forming an arch - his angered pose looking much like a cat when it was irritated.

"I do not know what you're talking about." She answered back plainly, shrugging nonchalantly.

He narrowed his eyes at her and sent a slim finger pointed in her direction. "What game do you think you're playing?"

She returned his glare with the same ferocity, but her creased forehead smoothed into a blank face. Feigning innocence, she reiterated, "What ever do you mean Peter?"

"That thing you just pulled with Ana!" He screeched, his eyes widening as he came to the realisation. "You." He accused. "You're the one who tried to drown her earlier!" She only smirked, edging him on further. "And you... y-you're the one in my dream?!"

She chuckled and shot him an sly smile, "I thought you'd catch on much quicker, _Peter_. I thought since you have been here the longest, you would know better than to take anything that happens on the island as reality. Really. I'm truly shocked to see you did not come to this realisation much sooner. I'm afraid to admit it but this is awfully disappointing from your behalf Peter." She taunted, taking small jabs at his pride. It wounded him although he would never let her see. "You really thought that _her__, _OF ALL PEOPLE! would really kiss a peasant boy like you?" She continued to ridicule him.

"I am the king of Neverland! I rule over this island with an iron fist." He snapped and snarled at her. "And I will not have you insulting me any further."

"My-my-my _Peter_, why haven't you just grown up?"

"I most certainly _have not grown up_!" He shouted furiously, his nostrils flaring wide.

She tapped a finger at him, "You've gotten it all wrong, _my dear_. You cannot be a boy forever-"

"I will! Just you watch-"

"Unless," she continued despite his interruption, "you take the heart of the truest believer." His insides boiled up but he remained his composed nature on the outside. "But you won't." She provoked, "because you're a coward."

"I AM NOT A COWARD!" He roared, lightning bouncing off the sky. It stormed with rain only a few second later, his ragged breathing depicting the sound of hails hitting the forrest floor with a thud. Thunder rocketed through the island, shaking all its inhabitants and filling them with uneasiness that rocked them to the very core. Even Chamylia, _the most powerful siren there ever lived_, felt Peter's rage (_and shivered knowingly_). "I will never take an innocent person's heart willingly. _Never__... Especially not Ana's._" He whispered the latter to himself hushed, although she heard quite clearly.

"You will and you must." She hissed himself but soon redrew her anger; her eyes widened as she finally began to grasp the reason behind his unwillingness, "You care for her now don' you? _You do_! _You do_! It is an awfully bad decision to let her into your heart. She will worm her way into you until there is nothing left but a hollow shell and a coward hiding inside. Just be glad Ana is not here to see this."

Peter pursed his lips and his body went tense at the mention of her name. His eyes went deathly cold, as if his soul was no longer present, and he spoke emotionless, "Because you killed her." He squinted with distrust and accusation. He pointed a nasty finger at her. "You killed her, in cold blood. You're a _murderer._" He spat.

"I am not." She countered, then snorted. "She is not dead."

"What?" Peter's voice quivered distressfully.

"She's not dead." She answered the same, "I did not kill her."

"I saw you! You drowned her..." His voice trailed off to a soft stop, his eyes lowering to the floor in pain. He bit back the tears and his anger rose up again, "SHE'S DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU!"

"She is not, and you will find her soon enough. All in due time." She answered him simply, but her vague response only infuriated Peter more. "There is many stories that have been foretold since the beginning, but only time can give us the answer to our problems." She paused, "I can promise you she is not to be harmed anymore by my hands."

"How can I trust you?"

"You can't but I have already warned you once of the the consequences if you did not listen to me."She then shook her head and clacked her tongue to the roof of her mouth, making a disapproving sound, "Peter. Peter. Peter. Haven't you learnt by now?"

"Learnt what?" He asked.

"That you can never trust anyone because you can never fully give someone enough of your heart to call it trust! You cannot do so because you don't have _a heart. _Thus, _Peter, _you cannot find true love!" She exclaimed. "Because you can _never_ _love_ someone."

"You're wrong." He paused (thinking for a moment too long), "_I love Ana_."

"And look how that turned out?" She hummed, "Look where that got her." He opened her mouth but she pointed a slim finger at him, eyes glaring with seriousness, "I told you to get me the heart of the truest believer, get me her heart. And yet again, you disobeyed me."

"I will not take her heart!... _I cannot_." He admitted defeatedly.

"Then you are a fool! And I will make you take it by force! Don't be naive Peter, we all know this cannot end well. Give up now and neither of you will be harmed, well she won't for the time being. Her fate will come... It's inevitable, but I will promise to not bother you until that time is near."

To this, Peter said nothing.

.

.

.

.

.

.

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"Oh and Peter?" She called sweetly but her fangs hissed at him, "Try not to get _too_ attached...

_I still need her heart._"

* * *

_Well that finally concludes chapter 7 (AKA the chapter that did not want to be written). I've never gone this long without updating and I'm sorry! I swear I've written this like 1,000,000 times but none of those worked out well - even ask YouSaid if you don't believe me. I've been ranting (sort of) to her for the past week. Thank you to my Aussie buddy for putting up with my general nonsense! _

_And a big thank you to everyone else who had taken their time to review and even more plainly, read! Each of you now hold a special part in my heart! xx_

_P.S I wrote the second part of this chapter within 2 hours so it's not the best of work.. Sorry._


	8. Chapter 8

**SWEAT AND TEARS**

In a town where the past haunts the present, Ana, a girl running from her old life, stumbles into Peter, a boy who is mysterious in more ways than one. As her past unravels, she comes to learn the story of two people whose forbidden love lead to terrible revenge and how their decisions placed upon them now; a world of '_sweat and tears'. _[PAN/OC AU, M for mature themes (smut), cussing & slight violence]

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Once Upon a Time! No copyright is intended. I only own the plot and any original characters._

_Music Inspiration: A Lover's Complaint - The Getaway Plan_

* * *

True to Chamylia's word, Peter had found Ana on the rocky shores of Neverland on the break of dawn. She was perched upon a rock, her face half floating in the small rock pool and her back jutting out at a very distorted angle. He winced when he saw her. Her face was pale and blank, and skin as cold as ice. When he hauled her into his arms and carried her back into the cover of the trees, she stirred several times. She was barely conscious, but more importantly, she was still breathing and very much _alive_. He released a much needed breath of relief as all his worries soon washed over him and into the sea amongst the tides. And as the sun began to rise over Neverland again, Peter clutched Ana tightly in his arms and held onto her with the intention of _never letting go_.

Ana had been drifting through the different realms of unconsciousness. She had stayed awake long enough to be fed her daily meals before collapsing back into tiresome slumber. In the time she had been bed-striken, she had begun to develop a nasty fever. One that kept persisting her until she was on the verge of death. Her pores were clogged with sweat and her skin was hot to touch all over. A very emotionally unstable Peter watched over her with the most abundance of care. It was so rare a sight that even Felix of all boys, had to pause and back track to see if his eyes were not playing tricks. Peter never left Ana's side, only once when Felix said he had needed herbs to tend to Ana's illness. He complied quickly and without an exchange of words. In fact, Peter spoke very little during that period.

The island roared with hot flashes of rain, usually coinciding with the times Peter grew more anxious about whether Ana would wake up. During other times, the island fell into darkness, clouds covering the sun, allowing no escape of the all consuming black. As the sun hid behind the grey clouds, days soon turned into endless nights. Peter grew more tiresome from lying awake at night, unable to sleep - his mind only thinking of Ana. Each morning he rose with more vibrant purple bags beneath his eyes and often lacked the strength to lift his own arm. The lost boys grew worried at Peter's condition and would often corner him into getting a wink of sleep - which Peter did not, even if he tried. As Peter grew weaker by day, Ana grew stronger by night.

.

Ana woke up two morning's after; feeling every inch of her body in agonising pain. She was alone in Peter's chamber, wrapped in a cocoon of blankets. Her forehead was now dripping with a layer of sweat and her lips were cracked and dry. She looked around, absorbing every detail of her environment. She tried to remember the events of last night which had left her in such a state. Ana tried to raise her hand but however hard she tried, she simply couldn't. Sighing and letting her tired eyes close once more, her head collapsed back onto the hard pillow and she shuffled around, loosening the blankets tightly secured to her body. Her mind turned to fog and she fell into a sleep once more...

_Ana sighed a heavy breath and muttered to herself, __"Why did he have leave me? Why does he always come back a week later begging forgiveness only to have thrown it out the window the following day?" Her forehead creased into a tight frown, "Maybe this time I shall not give him my pardon."_

_Her eyes scanned her new room, the very place her father had forsaken her to. It was dimly lit and the moonlight shone through the sheer curtains. Shadows were cast upon every inch of the room, which made her shiver uncomfortably, and her skin crawl with uneasiness._

_"I do not understand why he has chosen to leave me in a place as horrid as this." As she spoke, she let her fingers brush tentatively against the wooden headboard of the bed. It was scarred with crescent shaped marks of fingernails and rough sharp edges carved by knives. Her dainty fingers trailed along the marred surface until they came to a jostling halt. She laid her palm flat against the dent; it was the size of a human's fist. A riveting shudder ran down her spine and she wrapped her shawl tighter around her arms._

_Slowly removing her hand from the defaced wood, she let her bags slip from her shoulders and fall to the bed with a thud. The cracking sound that followed rung painfully through her ears._

_Ana's shoulder slumped in disappointment. She should've been angry, furious, outraged by her father's treatment of her. However, somehow, she could not bring herself to hate him. He was her father after all..._

_You see her father was the epitome of disappointment. And she, like any naive girl at the sprouting age of twelve, would have been foolish enough to have believed he would come back for her. She had expected him to be the ideal father but somehow, he was there to prove her wrong at every turn and every slope. Despite the countless times he had left her to fend for herself, she would have forgiven him anyway, merely because he was her father._

_Ever since her mother's death, her father had grown more withdrawn, secluding himself to his room and seldom came out. And as a child, Ana rarely saw him. On occasions, she would pass him in the kitchen, where he would offer her a simple pat on the head but neither a 'hello' nor a 'how'd you do?' On these rare meeting, she would notice how his face had turned more ghastly pale than the previous encounter. He was far skinnier in appearance and no longer filled his clothes. By now, he looked like he was drowning in a sea of fabric. Of course, she never mentioned any of this and continued to provide for both herself and her father._

_By the time she reached her teens, he had changed his usual time spent sulking in his room to drinking away his nights at the local tavern. Every night without fail, she would walk down at midnight and find him barely conscious on the dirty floor, with footprints on his clothing and drool seeping from his mouth._

_Even reaching her adolescence, nothing had changed. Her father still left her regularly -often for booze or women- and Ana was stuck; left alone to care for herself in a household filled with peculiar items and even stranger people. She had been in a dozen of homes before and in each for not very long._

_She experienced and saw a lot - more than a girl of sixteen should've seen. Ana had learnt to keep her mouth shut and to speak when only spoken to. And to not do so, would have her thrown into the basement or out onto the streets again. Those were the roughest of nights._

_As Ana sat reminiscing about the old times where her father and mother were very much alive and healthy, she began to grow sick in the stomach. A sharp pain started to throb in her gut, a lump clogging her throat, and her lip began to tremble, before eventually, a sob began to grow. She clutched onto the sheer fabric, fisting it into small bundles in her palms and clung onto herself desperately; as if, when she let go, she would be whisked away by a sea of tears._

_She spent the hour like that, unmoving and paralyzed by the fear that laced her new room. The shadows cast upon her wall looked like claws stretching towards her. She shuffled away the wall and towards the yellow light emitting from a small globe placed in the centre of her room. It was weak and flickered often. Ana made one last promise to never to let her mind stray too far for fear that if she did, she began to remember how much of a disappointment her father was, and she would never be able to forgive him again._

When she re-opened her eyes, she was blinded by a bright light seeping through the sheer curtains. She shied away from the light and swiped at the sweat that had gathered on her brow. She frowned at her memory - one that she thought she had forgotten long ago. She pulled and tugged at the blankets and sheets that were forming puddles around her ankles. Once they were removed from her body and she had the freedom to move, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and sat up. With a shaky breath, she attempted to stand up on her feet. She could barely stand one moment before her weak knees buckled beneath her weight and she collapsed back down onto the ground. Feeling drained and fatigued, she fell into a deep slumber for the second time.

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Ana woke the third time that day, except this time she was back in Peter's bed with his arm wrapped securely around her waist, drawing her closer whenever she tried to move further apart. She saw the moonlight seep in from under the window, and being as curious as she was, decided to investigate. She quickly manoeuvred Peter's arm from her waist to the bed, slipping from his grasp as she tore herself from the bed. She approached the bed, hoping to be silent to not wake Peter up.

(But she was not as good as being quiet as she thought.)

Ana's fingers touched the brass metal of the handle and taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and swung the window wide open. She felt the rush of cold air hit her like a wave but she ignored it, and enjoyed the sounds of the peaceful night instead. When she opened her eyes, she saw nothing else but those stars above her head. They shone particularly bright that night, and there was one which was glowing more radiantly. She straightened up her back and stood to her full height, watching in silent awe as it illuminated around her; a glistening yellow circle encompassing her entirely. Ana's focus did not stray as the star glimmered and sparkled with intensity. Not a moment later was it gone.

And Ana was left wondering if she would ever see anything that matched its beauty ever again.

From afar, Peter watched, his eyes growing in darkness as that confirmed his deepest suspicions. She was the one he had been waiting for all this time. She had the heart of the truest believer, and a long time ago, so did he. So naturally, as the Earth continues to rotate, as decades pass and as all that Peter had known grew to pass, he knew the time was near - the time the two would cross paths. The story of the two truest believers had been foretold since the very beginning of time and now they were almost at the end of their story.

* * *

_Sorry there was hardly any Peter/Ana in this. I wrote this in a rush and honestly, it feels like the worst piece of writing I have done in a long time. Honestly though, school is starting to pile up on me and I cannot do anymore than this in this coming week (until next friday or so). So, enjoy this (slightly ok) chapter. _

_Love L xx_


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